Arizona Senate Passes Republican-Backed Bills Targeting Drag Queen Shows
In a party-line vote, the Arizona Senate has approved two bills aimed at regulating and restricting drag queen shows in the state.
The bills were sponsored by Republican state senator Anthony Kern from Glendale and include measures such as limiting where drag performances can take place and increasing regulations, as well as imposing potential fines and jail time for violations.
Kern argued that the legislation was necessary to protect children from adult entertainment, but Democrats have criticized the bills as discriminatory and overly broad in their language.
Opponents of the bills argue that they could be used to target not just drag shows, but other forms of performance art such as stand-up comedy.
They also claim that the bills’ definitions are unclear and difficult to enforce.
Drag shows have become a focal point in the “culture wars” that Republicans have been focusing on in recent years.
The bills are unlikely to become law, as Arizona’s Democratic Governor, Katie Hobbs, has already vetoed 16 pieces of legislation in her first two months in office.
Nevertheless, the bills’ passage in the Senate highlights the ongoing political divide over issues related to gender identity and LGBTQ+ rights in Arizona and across the United States.
